Method of adjusting wire spokes of wire-spoked wheels.



E. G. BUDD. METHOD OF ADJUSTING WIRE SPOKES 0F WIRE SPOKED WHEELS.

- APPLICATION FILED JULY 19.1916.

1 ,319,25 Patented Sept. 17, 1918..

a I 351 M alto awn iINITEns'rArEs PATENT curios.

EDWARD. G. Bonn, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR "r BUDD WHEEL conPoRA'rIo or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA,

j E TIIon or ADJUST NG-W RE srox'ss or w nn-sroxnn WHEELS.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I', 'EDWARD G. BUDD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia, Stateof Pennsylvania, have made a certain new and usefui Invention in Methods of Adjusting Wire Spokes of Wire-Spoked.

Wheels. v I This invention relates to methodof adjusting the length of wire spokes for wire spoked wheels. The object of the invention is to provide a method of adjustment of the lengths of wire'spokes employed in wire spoked wheels, which is simple and effective and whereby the cost of constructing the wheel is very materially. reduced. r Further objects of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

The invention consists substantially in the mode of operation as hereinafter more particularly pointed out, as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and finally pointed out in the cla ms. I I

In the manufacture of wire spoked Wheels it is a common expedient to connect the hub and rim of the wheel with wire spokes which are threaded at their ends to be engaged by screw caps, nuts or the like, in order to adjust the length of the spokes in 'truing up the wheel.- It is important and necessary to properly true up the wheel after the spokes have been assembled in connecting relation with reference to the hub and rim in order that the wheel may be pro erly trued and the spoke tension equa 'z ed.

Wherethe ends of the spokes are threaded and adjusting screw caps or nuts are employed for accomplishing this work, the cost of production of the wheel is'increased by reason of the necessi for threading the ends of the spokes an tapping the adjusting .caps or. nuts. This work adds materially to the cost of manufacture of the wheel. It isamongthe special purposes of my present;-invention to provide a method of ad usting the length of the spokes inproperly truing up the wheel and securing equality of spoke tension between the hub;

and rim, which avoids the necessity for cutting screw threads upon the spoke ends or of roviding adjusting caps or nuts.

-. shown various methods 65 drawing 1' have n the accompanym' %or carrying out my invention.

Figure lis a view, partly in elevation and partly. in section, showing one method of accomplishing my objects and purposes.

Fig. 2 is a broken detail sectional view rection of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a modified arrangement for car-. rying'out the method of my invention.

In accordance with; my invention I emon the line 2, 2, Fig. 1, looking in the diploy wire spokes 4 to connect the hub 5, and rim 6 of a wire spoked wheel. Any desiredj number or lacing arrangement of spokes may be employed, and any desired structure. of hub and rim may be-employed, as my resent invention does not reside in such eatures. In accordance with my invention I cut the wires which constitute the spokes to approximately the required length to be anchored at one end in the rim and at the other end in the hub. Afterinserting the v spokes the ends7, -8, are respectively upsetendwise to form an anchor head shoulder or other connection respectively with the hub and .rim. In case any individual: spoke shouldbe of-too great a length and thereby produce ine uality of spoke tension,- or if after the spo es have been inserted and their ends upset, as above explained, it should be necessary to adjust, either by shortenin or by increasing the'length of any indivi ual spoke in order to secure equality of spoke tension or to properly true up the wheel I propose to physically extendorv reduce the length of the spokes, or, such of them as'may require it. This extension in -orreduction .90

of the length of individual spokes may be accomplished in various ways. In Fig. 1 I

vhave shown my invention as applied to the shortening of the length of the spokes. A In the form shown this is accomplished by employing a tongs consisting of .pivotally con nected handles 9 carrying'clamp' heads 10 in which are seated, in this particular. form,

cone 'shaped gripping members -11, designed to embrace and grip the spokes 4, at a slight 10o distance apart. Then by manipulating the tongs arms 9, the gripping members are forced. toward each other, thereby physically shortening the spoke by upsetting themetal body thereof endwise in the s ace between'lot the points en aged by the gripping members.

-Bysuccessive y operating at dlfi'erent points along the length of the spoke the desired re-- duct on in the length thereof, or shortening of the spoke is accomplished, until the tension of said spoke is equalized with that of the other spokes, and by successively operating on various spokes the desired truing of the wheel is accomplished. Where in the operation of truing the wheel it becomes necessary to increase the length of the spoke this may be accomplished in like manner by I a reversal of the above operation in which case the grippin members 11 will be forced apart from eac other instead of toward each other, thereby physically drawing out the length of the spoke. In Fig. 3, I have indicated another method of varying the length of the spoke by successively heating the same at various points along its length. This may be accomplished electrically, the electrodes 12, 13, being applied to the spoke at various points along its length, and current of proper character being supplied thereto to sufficiently heat the spoke, locally at each application of the electrodes said electrodes being included in a suitable electric circuit. By thus successively applying the electrodes to the spoke at along. its length the length of said spoke may be physically varied through the ac ,tion of the heat thereby successively applied and the subsequent cooling of the heated portions.

Ordinarily the degree of variation in the length of the spokes, when care is exercised to initially out the spokes to the required length, is quite small and consequently the method of adjustment above described is effective, and is carried out expeditiously and efficiently, thereby avoiding the cost incident to turning threads upon the spoke ends and applying adjusting nuts or sleeves thereto.

Having now set forth the object and nature of my invention, what I claim as new and useful and of my own invention, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is,-

1. The method of truing up wire spoked various points wheels which consists physically changing the lengths of individual spokes to vary the tension of the same relatively to other spokes of the wheel.

2. The method of truing up wire spoked wheels which consists in physically lengthening individual spokes to vary the tension of the same relatively to other spokes of the wheel.

3. The method of truing upv wire spoked wheels which consists in applying the wire spokes to the hub and rim of the'wheel in approximately the required lengths of the spokes and then physically changing the lengths of individual mediate the hub and rim to vary the tension of the same relatively to other spokes of the wheel.

spokes lnter- 4. The method of truing up wire spoked I wheels-which consists in attaching the ends of the wire spokes in approximately therequired lengths to the hub and rim, respectively, of the wheel, and then changing the lengths of successive portions of individual spokes to vary the tension thereof relatively sion thereof relatively to other spokes of the wheel.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of the subscribing witnesses, on this 10th day of July A. D.,

EDWARD Gr. BUDD. Witnesses;

JOSEPH LEDWINKA,

A. N. BUXBAUM. 

